Roof covering



Patented May -15, 1928. l

UNITED STATES PATENT Application lled September This invention relates to a roof covering of the type in which the covering is made of a lurality of separate shingles laid indivifibally, and has for an object .to provide an improved shingle and vcovering of this type which will be neat and attractive in appearance, which may bel laid with a minimum of labor, and in which when laid there are no corners which can curl up. It is a further object of the invention to provide a shingle construction which may be cut from a continuous strip of material entirely without waste.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction of this character in which the shingles of a course have integral portions which are overlapped by the shingles of the next lower course without the'necessity of folding any part of the shingle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, similar reference characters being employed throughout the'various figures to indicate corresponding elements.l Inthis drawing,

' Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion lot' a roof constructlon made with my improved shingles.

Fig. 2 is a section thereof line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a single shingle in substantially on "which lthe side edges are substantially at right angles to each other.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a shingle in which the side edges are inclined to 'each other, and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a portion of a continuous strip showing how my improved shingles may be cut from this strip without wasting any of the material.

The shingle 10 may be cut from a strip of any suitable material commonly used for this type of article such as the asphaltlc compounds or composition, metal or the like. In the embodiment shown it comprises a substantially diamond shaped piece of'material, either substantially square as shown in Fig. 3, or shorter in one direction than 15, 1925. Serial No.' 56,477.

the other as shown in Fig. 4,7`andjis'pro oFFlcE.

vided at one corner with an extension 11 j integral with the 'body of the shingle. This` extension is so formed that it is of general rectangular outline but it is provided with cuts 12 extending inwardly on the o osite ends, these cuts being in al1 ment wit and in effect extensions of the a jacent side edges 13 and 14 of the shingle. These cuts will provide ears 15v which are free at their outer ends, and which extend outwardly from the side edges of the shingle, but which overlap and are disconnected from ,these edges a suliicientdistance `to form the ears 15; The shingles are laid substantially as shown in Fig. 1 so that the edges 13 and '14 on two adjacent shingles in a course form an angle 16 with the corner having the extension 11 down, and in laying the next upper row of shingles the free ends of theears 15 are inserted under the 'adjacent edges of two' shingles in the lower course forming the angle 16, asV shown in Fig. 1, so that these ears are overlapped by these two lower shingles. This overlapped relation securely locks the exposed lower portionof the shingles in position. After these ears Ahave been inserted under the edges of the two lower shingles as described the vertical edge 17 is brought to substantially the center line of the right hand shingle overlapping the right hand ear 15, this center line being indicated by the numeral 18 and can be easily estimated in laying the shingles. This brings the'shingles in proper position with the right hand portion thereof adjacent the edge 17 over the left corner 19 of the next adjacent shingle to the right inthe same course. The right hand portion of the shingle being laid and the left hand portion of the next previously laid shingle in the same course may then be secured by a single nail 20. Thus in laying each shingle it is merely necessary to insert the free ends of may b'elaid very rapidly and uniformly. The nail, of course, will be covered by the shingles of the next -row above so that it is not exposed to the weather. It is to be noted that when the ears 15 are inserted under the edges 13 and 14 of the nextlower shingles the free ends of these ears are moved inwardly somewhat and the edges of the lower shingles pass through the cuts 12. It will also be apparent that the shingles are secured without any folding or bending over of an portion of the shingle as is common in ot ier forms of shingles. There is thus no danger of breaking ot the extension because of this folding operation. The folding operation also increases the cost of the shingle. It is also to be noted that with this construction there are no free exposed corners which can curl up leaving a chance for moisture to enter or givin an unslightly appearance. The shingle is also securely fastened so there is no chance for wind to get under it and pull it free from the roof.

The construction of the extension 11 disclosed not only provides a convenientJ and effective means for fastening the exposed surface of the shingle, but it also allows cutting of the shingle from a continuous strip of material with no waste whatever, as indicated in Fig. 4. In cutting the shingles the strip of material 21 is cut transversely at given intervals inwardly from the opposite side edges as indicated at 22 Fig. 5, to points 23 spaced on opposite sides of the center of the strip. The strip is also cut along its center line as indicated at 24 between points 25 spaced from each other substantially the same as the points v23. Angular cuts 26 substantially parallel with each other are made a suitable distance outwardly or toward the body of the shingles from the points 23 and 25, and there is a diagonal cut 27 between substantially the centers of the angular cuts 26. It will thus be seen that these cuts complete the shingles and leave the ears 15 without in any way wasting the material. The angular cuts 26 provide the vertical edges 17 for the shingles.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the shingle is very simple in construction, may be-cut from a continuous strip without waste, and may be laid with a minimum of labor and use of material.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. A shingle comprising a substantially diamond-sliaped piece of material provided at its lower corner with an integral extension, which extension is provided with cuts extending inwardly from its opposite edges forming extensions of the adjacent side edges of the shingle to thus provide ears to'be` inserted under the adjacent edges of two lower shingles arranged at an angle'to each other to fasten the exposed portion of the upper shingle Iin place, one of the side corners being cut oit to provide an upright edge to lie at substantially the upright diagonal of the lower shingle in the preceding course to properly position the shingle, said extension comprising the material severed in forming said upright edge on similar shingles.

2. A shingle comprising a substantially diamond-shaped piece of material provided on the opposite sides of the lower corner with ears integral with the body ofthe shingle, said ears extending outwardly from the side edges of the shingle and disconnected from these side edges a sufficient distance in line with the side edges to form extensions adapted when the shingle is laid over two adjacent shingles to be inserted under the adjacent edges of the lower shingles at the angle between them without foldi ing these extensions relative to the body. of

the shingle, one of the side corners being cut off to provide an upright edge to lie at substantially the upright diagonal of the next lower shingle in the preceding course to properly position the shingle, said ears being formed of the material severed in forming said upright edge on similar shingles.

3. In a roof construction, a plurality of shingles comprising substantially diamondshaped pieces of material provided at one corner with an integral extension having cuts extending inwardly from its o posite edges forming extensions of the adjacent side edges of the shingle to provide ears having free outer ends, the body and the extension of the individual shingles being so proportioned that 'when laid with the corners carrying the extensions down and the side edges of two adjacent shingles in the same course form an angle they overlap at their adjacent side corners, a securing nail passing through the overlapped corners, and the shingles oir-tl1e next upper course being laid in the saine way with the ears inserted under the adjacent edges of the lower shingles at the angle between them so that the free ends of the ears are overlapped by the previously laid shingles to fasten the exposed portion of the upper shingle 'in place.

4. In a roof construction, a plurality of shingles comprising substantially diamondshaped pieces of material provided at one corner with ears integral with the body of the shingle, said ears extending outwardly from the side edges of the shingle and disconnected from these side edges sufficient distance in line with the side edge to form extensions with outer free ends, the body and the extension of the individual shingles lUU being so .proportioned that when lai-d with the corners carrying the extensions down and the side edges of two adjacent shingles in the same course form an angle they overlap at their adjacent side corners, a Securing nail passing through the overlapped corners, and the shingles on' the next upper course being laid in the same way with the free ends of the eXtenSiOnsinSerted under the adjacent edges of the lower shingles at the angle between them so that they are overlapped by the -p1teviouslylaid shingles tol fasten the exposed portion of the upper shingle in place without folding the extensions relative to the body of the shingle.

Intestimony whereof I aix my signature.

HARRY T. NICHOLS. 

